To simplify the answer, you can check out a sample of title report at http://www.nextace.com or download a free property report at http://www.searchq.com
Beside a title report, the bank will require you to buy a title insurance before they can fund the mortgage to protect themselves from any ownership and title problems.... more

Make sure you get the Good Faith Estimate in advance and ask about what fees can be reduced or question any high fees. We have low fees and won't charge you any points. Call or email for a free pre-approval in less than 10 minutes. We lend our own money and can do deals that banks turn down.

We can do: FHA, Conventional, USDA, VA, HARP, Interest Only, Home Equity, Fixed, and Variable. Find out which product is right for you by calling Brad at (855) 415-5626.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), businesses and certain government buildings are required to take steps to make their buildings accessible to those who are handicapped. Provisions may include elevators, wider doorways that can accommodate wheelchairs and, in certain cases, wheelchair ramps. Certain exemptions are afforded to buildings on the basis of design or historic integrity. The U.S. Department of Justice has established an easy process for reporting problems.

Older buildings before 1990 have no handicap requirements, however, each state or city can make
up their own laws or requirements and enforce them.... more

I admit that I haven't riden the hound since the early 1970s. The bus station used to be on 7th Street between Market and Mission but it is now at 200 FOLSOM ST. That makes the Embarcadero station closest.... more

Well, I'm not a local SFian. But I will tell you as a frequent visitor that the Cow Hollow is one of our favorite areas in the entire city. First and for most it's about the flattest urban area we know of. Most of SF is pretty hilly which is great and we love walking all the neighborhoods.

But Cow Hollow is a very strategic place to launch yourself from to just about anyplace you want to go. From the Cow Hollow Hotel my wife and I can walk the GG Bridge back and forth in the morning and end up at Fisherman's Warf for lunch. From there we can walk through the Italian District to the downtown area of Rush St and end up in China Town for Dim Sum and be back home before dark (summertime).

I know I'm a romanticist but we love SF and we especially love Cow Hollow. In fact if anyone ever wants to trade their flat in Cow Hollow for a neat little beach casita in Leucadia for a few days we're all ears. Were available almost anytime.... more

This area is really safe, pretty, and close to the Bay/Crissy Field. The intersection of Union St and Steiner St is one of many hubs of activity in this neighborhood. The #'s 22, 41, and 45 buses pass by this intersection. It also has many restaurants, bars, wine bars, boutiques, etc nearby. There is also a church on this corner, if you're into that (and this church does NOT have annoying/loud bells, so no worries there!)... more

Jan,
Up. The only downward pressure that area will experience wi come from sellers that have to sell and fewer buyers that can qualify for loans.
At the prices and desirability of Cow Hollow that is a very small segment of the market so not much pressure.
Any seller that can has to move and can rent the property until the credit market is stabilized will hold till then. Rents are going up in most areas of SF and the north side is always a strong rental area.

Lester,
Getting up zoned from RH2 to RH3 will depend on many factors. The only way you can find out would be to either research with the planning department http://www.sfgov.org/site/planning_index.asp and look for information on posible changes that might be coming along. some of the changes being considered as we speak are the Market Octavia plan which could be the template for all density in the residential areas of the city.
There are major changes going on in the city right now with a new planning director and new head of DBI. Redevelopment and other things like the Eastern Neighborhoods rezoning won't affect you in Cow Hollow but the transit corridor planning might. It could be very possible that the best you could do is build a 2 unit building.
The process will be daunting to undertake on your own but start with building a knowledge of your neighborhhods specifics and talk to builders working in the area to find out what the process was for them. Aslo contact architects to get their experience.... more

Not the best apartments as far as finishes and quality of workmanship are concerned (IMO). The views from some of the units are nice (#503 is my favorite), but that's about it. Don't go rushing in to buy those penthouse units at a premium either. Get the same thing (again IMO) by buying into the 5th floor.

You're right, location is not phenomenal, but it's not bad either and if you're up in the building, you'll hardly notice.... more

Obviously, no one can say for sure where specific prices will go, but your guess is certainly on target with those of many professionals. The California Association of Realtors predicts that 2008 will be the low in the overall CA market and then prices will rise after that. However, that doesn't mean that prices in SF or in any specific community will wait that long to rise. All in all, if you don't need to sell now, I would wait until at least Spring when more buyers will be on the market. Just my 2 cents!... more

Clara, here are the elementary school ratings for Foster City and the surrounding areas. The State Rank is determined by a school's API Score in comparison to all other schools in California. (1 is the worst, 10 is the best). An equal number of schools occupy each rank.